#CBOEIntroducesExtendedTradingForStockOptions

Cboe Approved by SEC to Extend Stock Options Trading Hours — A Major Step Toward Near 24-Hour Markets

On May 28, 2026, Cboe Global Markets announced that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved its proposal to introduce extended trading hours for select multi-listed single-stock options on the Cboe Options Exchange (C1). The new schedule is expected to go live on July 13, subject to final SEC approval of related rule filings.

New Extended Trading Schedule

Pre-market session: 7:30 AM – 9:25 AM ET (nearly two hours before the regular open)

Post-market session: 4:00 PM – 4:15 PM ET (15-minute window after close)

Trading will run Monday through Friday, initially covering approximately 20 of the most liquid and actively traded underlying stocks.

Initial Eligible Underlyings

The first phase is expected to include around 20 high-liquidity single-stock options, selected based on strict liquidity and market-cap criteria. This group is expected to include all Magnificent 7 stocks such as Nvidia, Tesla, and Apple, along with other high-volume names like Palantir, Broadcom, and AMD.

Cboe confirmed a conservative rollout approach, starting with a limited set of instruments to ensure market stability, risk controls, and investor protection before broader expansion.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for extended trading eligibility, options must meet the following criteria based on the previous six months of data:

Minimum average daily options volume: 150,000 contracts

Minimum underlying market capitalization: $50 billion

Minimum average daily share volume: 10 million shares

Eligible lists will be reviewed and updated twice per year, based on semi-annual data assessments.

Market Significance of Extended Hours

A large portion of market-moving events — including earnings releases, macroeconomic data, and corporate announcements — occur outside regular U.S. trading hours (9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET).

Previously, options traders had to wait until the next trading session to react. The introduction of extended hours enables:

Faster reaction to overnight and early-session news

Reduced contra-exercise and timing risk

Improved hedging and position management during volatile periods

Cboe’s Existing Extended Trading Infrastructure

This move builds on Cboe’s existing extended trading systems. The exchange already operates:

Global Trading Hours (GTH: 8:15 PM – 9:25 AM ET)

Curb Trading Hours (4:15 PM – 5:00 PM ET)

These programs support near 24x5 trading for index options such as SPX, VIX, XSP, and RUT.

In Q1 2026, trading volume during GTH and Curb sessions increased by 32% year-over-year, reaching record highs, with strong demand driven by Asia-Pacific investors.

In equities, Cboe’s exchanges already offer extended trading from 4:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET, and the company is also planning to launch near 23x5 stock trading on its EDGX exchange in December 2026, pending regulatory approval and infrastructure readiness.

Industry Direction and Outlook

According to Cboe’s Head of U.S. Derivatives, Meaghan Dugan, the SEC approval represents a major milestone for the U.S. options market. As equity and derivatives markets move toward near-continuous trading, aligning options trading hours with underlying stock markets will improve efficiency in risk management and opportunity capture.

This shift also reflects growing global demand for extended access to U.S. markets, particularly from investors in Asia and Europe. The expansion from index options toward single-stock options signals a broader structural transition toward 24-hour market access in derivatives trading.